Weft thread changing apparatus in a shuttleless loom



April 25, 1967 w SCHEFFEL 3,315,797

WEFT THREAD CHANGING APPARATUS IN A SHUTTLELESS LOOM Filed Jan. 21, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

April 1967 w. SCHEFFEL. 3,315,707

WEFT THREAD CHANGING APPARATUS IN A SHUTTLELESS LOOM Filed Jan. 21, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WALTER SCHE F FE L United States Patent O 3,315,707 WEFT THREAD CHANGING APPARATUS IN A SHUTTLELESS LOOM Walter Schetfel, 53 Industriestrasse, Weissenburg, Bavaria, Germany Filed Jan. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 426,891 4 Claims. (Cl. 139-122) The present invention relates to weft thread changing apparatus for a shuttleless loom.

In a shuttleless loom, the warp threads are set up in the loom in the required order so that those parts of the weave pattern requiring differing warp threads present no difficulty. The weft thread is picked into the warp threads in a Well known manner and, if there is only one weft thread, the single weft thread can be caused to pass through a single fixed picking point and thus can be picked accurately by a repetitive automatic picking device. If, however, it is required to vary the weft threads during weaving to produce a patterned weave, i.e., to introduce sequentially weft threads of differing colours, it is diflicult to introduce each weft thread accurately to the picking point. Arrangements have to be provided for doing so but such arrangements only work effectively, if the number of differing threads is small, for example, 4 to 6. Even so, the point to which the weft thread is delivered is not a fixed point but varies slightly around the picking point which can lead to defective operation of the picking device.

Moreover, it is essential that the point to which each weft thread is delivered be the picking point, if the picking device includes or operates in association with a device for measuring the length of the Weft thread to be picked.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a weft thread changing apparatus in a shuttleless loom which can deliver sequentially and accurately any one of a large number of weft threads to the picking point of the loom.

These and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of one form of weft thread changing apparatus according to the present invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic representation, in plan view, of the essential components of a weft thread changing apparatus according to the present invention;

FIGURE 1a is a front elevation of a loom in combination with the weft changing apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic representation, in side elevation, of the drive mechanism for actuating the apparatus of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 2a is an end elevation of a loom in combination with the weft changing apparatus.

The invention is only concerned with apparatus for delivering sequentially a chosen one of a plurality of differing weft threads to the picking point of the loom, which point is indicated in both FIGURE 1 and FIG- URE 2 by the reference M. The picking point is under stood to be the point at which the selected weft is positioned to be engaged by the inserting member to then be carried thereby into the shed. The only requirement of the apparatus of the present invention, so far as it concerns the loom, is that it shall operate in coordination with the operation of the loom, that it shall not foul any part of the loom, and that it shall centre on the picking point M.

FIGURES la and 2a show one form of a standard loom with which the thread changing apparatus may be employed. As shown, motor 307 through gears 305 and 306 imparts rotation to crank shaft 304. Shaft 304 is carried by loom frame 301 and mounts cams 22, 310

3,315,707 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 ice and 311. Cam 22 drives the thread change apparatus as will be more fully set forth hereinafter. Cams 310 and 311 through cranks 312 impart a reciprocating motion to the lay through swords 302. The swords 309 are pivoted at their lower ends at 303 and carry at their upper end the lay beam and reed 302. The warp is carried by beam 329 and passes over roll 330, through shed forming means 338 and is formed into sheds 343 to receive the weft threads. The finished fabric passes forward over the loom breast beam around sand roll 331 and is taken up on cloth roll 332.

Also provided at each side of the loom are weft inserting means 321 and 323 which are driven by usual means in timed sequence with the motion of the lay and other loom parts. Weft inserting needles 320 and 321 carrying weft engaging portions 318 and 319 are operably associated to place each pick of weft thread in its proper position in warp shed 343.

The weft thread changing apparatus is associated with needle 320 and operates to place the selected weft thread in position M whereat it is picked up by thread engaging portion 318 and carried to a mid-point in shed 343 whereat engaging portion 319 relieves portion 318 of the weft thread and pulls said thread through the remainder of the shed. As is usual, the lay operates to head-up each pick after it is properly positioned in the shed by needles 320 and 321.

The apparatus illustrated permits a selected one of sixteen differing weft threads to be supplied to the picking point M. Sixteen thread guide arms 101 through are mounted in an arcuate slide 117 centering on the picking point M so that the thread guide arms 101 through 115 are radially disposed with respect to the picking point M. Each thread guide arm is slida-ble with respect to the slide 117 between a first position wherein a respective eye 118 through 131 mounted on the inner end of each thread guide arm 101 through 115 is positioned close to the slide 117 and a second position wherein the respective eye 118 through 131 is positioned at the picking point M (see the arm 113 and eye 129 in full line in FIGURE 1 and in part in broken line in FIGURE 2).

The outer end of each thread guide arm 101 through 115 is provided with a pair of outwardly projecting lugs 132 Which are shown on only certain of the thread guide arms in FIGURE 1 for purposes of simplification. These lugs 132 ride in slots 133 in the split ends of a series of levers 134 through 149. Each lever 134 through 149 (see lever 148 in FIGURE 2) is pivotally mounted at its opposite end about a pin 28 by means of a sleeve 27 and a stem 26 extends outwardly from the sleeve 27 at right angles to the respective lever 134 through 149. An integral pin 25 is provided at the free end of each stem 26. A spring 36 (shown only in FIGURE 2) is provided around each thread guide arm 101 through 115 between the slide 117 and the lugs 132 to bias that end of the thread guide arm away from the slide.

A housing carrying the apparatus is provided with a rod 15 extending therefrom over the levers 134 through 149 and a slide 11 is mounted slidably on this rod 15.

The slide 11 carries four multiple cam plates or lifters 4 through 7 of differing pitch and mounted side by side for relative movement at right angles to the direction of movement of the slide 11. Each multiple cam plate has sixteen bases and the slide 11 has sixteen projections 161 carried by connecting portions 11a projecting downwardly, one projection corresponding to each lever 134 through 149. An equal armed lever 9 is mounted centrally thereof on a pivot 10 on each projection 161, one end of the lever overhanging the multiple cam plates 4 through 7 and the other end being provided with a hook 24 underlying the pin 25 of the corresponding stem 26.

The multiple cam plates 4 through 7 are each mounted for limited independent movement along the length thereof allowed for by means of slots 170, 171 which engage pins 173, 172 mounted on certain projections 161 of the slide 11. The motion of the multiple cam plates 4 through 7 is controlled by linkage systems 174 through 177 connecting said multiple cam plates to a pattern programme unit 178. Unit 178, as shown in FIGURE 1 includes a rotating cylinder 202 secured to shaft 201 which is rotatably carried by frame 200. Cylinder 202 carries cards 203 which have fiat portions 204 and punched portions 205. Frame 2011 is reciprocated in the direction of arrows P and operates in one extreme position to allow the cards to dictate control positions to linkage systems 174 through 177 and in the other extreme position to allow the cylinder to rotate a distance sufficient to place another card in position to dictate to said linkage system on the following movement to said one position. The pattern programme unit 178 may be controlled by a Jacquard unit or a dobby unit of the loom. It should be stated that it is possible to produce an arrangement of sixteen different positions controlled by four control factors, each of which has two positions. Thus it is possible in this case to provide that the four bases of the multiple cam plates associated with any selected one lever 9 be aligned by suitable positioning of the linkage systems 174 through 177. When the bases are so aligned, the lever 9 can drop into the aligned bases so that the hook 24 engages the pin 25 under the action of a spring 23.

The slide 11 is mounted for movement under the action of two equal links 12, 14 connected to a common pivot 17 and to respective pivots 13 and 179 on the housing 160 and on the slide 11. The common pivot 17 is carried by a rod 16 which is pivotally connected at 18 to a lever 20 and a cam follower 21. The lever 21} is pivotally mounted about a pin 19 at one end thereof and is loaded downwardly at the other end by a spring 131 The cam follower 21 rides on a rotary cam 22 which serves to raise the rod 16 periodically. The movement of the rod 16 causes the slide 11 to reciprocate along the rod 15 and, each time the slide moves in the direction of the arrow B and one lever 9 is engaged with a pin 25, the thread guide arm associated with that pin is depressed until the eye (129 in the selected example) is moved to the picking point M. The springs 101 and 180 return the systems when the mechanical forces subside. The effect of the spring 23 is cancelled by disalignment of the basis of the multiple cam plates 4 through 7. It will be apparent that the timing of the operation of the apparatus is dependent on the speed of rotation of the rotary cam 22 and this is preferably driven from the drive of the loom.

Each thread F is supplied from a respective bobbin 3 by way of a respective thread guide 181, a respective aperture 182 in a disc 34, a respective aperture 183 in a limb 184 of the housing 160, between a pair of respective vertical plates 30, 31, and respective aperture 185 in a second limb 186 of the housing 160, to the respective eye 118 through 131.

The plates 30, 31 are pressed together by springs 32 and serve to brake the thread F. To open the plates 30, 31

to free the thread F, a wedge 33 is mounted under each lever 134 through 149 and becomes inserted between the plates 30, 31 each time that the appropriate lever is depressed in the manner explained hereinbefore.

Additionally, the disc 34 is mounted for reciprocal motion in synchronism with the rotary cam 22 by a mechanical linkage (not shown) and is linked by a pin 35 with one of the plates 30, 31. It is so arranged that all the pairs of plates are released in between each weft insertion in order that the thread ends woven into the selvedge can move along as the total weave is moved along the loom.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus includes a common pattern programme unit actuating four common cooperating multiple cam plates thereby to control individually sixteen independent thread guide arms. Five multiple cam plates would control thirty-two thread guide arms and so on. The actuation mechanism for the thread guide arms is common to all thereof though effective only on the thread guide arm selected by the multiple cam plates. There is an individual thread brake for each thread but all the thread brakes can be released in unison by means of the disc 34.

In this way, a patterned weave can be produced accurately and automatically with a large number of weft threads.

I claim:

1. in a weft thread changing apparatus for a shuttleless loom having picking means for picking weft thread from a point at which selected wefts are positioned to be engaged by an inserting member to then be carried thereby into a shed in an associated loom, the weft thread changing apparatus being actuable to feed sequentially selected wefts to the point, the combination of, a supporting means, a plurality of individually movable thread guide arms each mounted in radial disposition on said supporting means with respect to the point, a plurality of linking levers each connected to and being pivotable for effecting movement of one of said thread guide arms along the respective radius, catch means mounted on each said linking lever, a slide, slide drive means reciprocating said slide along a line substantially in the direction of said linking levers, a plurality of transverse multiple cam plates mounted on said slide and reciprocable over a limited travel in a direction transverse to the direction of permitted movement of said slide, a plurality of catch levers each overhanging one of said multiple cam plates and underlying one of said catch. means, hook means on each of said catch levers to engage with a respective said catch means, a plurality of linkage system-s each mounted upon one of said multiple cam plates, each said multiple cam plate being provided with bases of differing pitch arranged with respect to the limited travel of each said multiple cam plate for the alignment of one base for each position of the respective said linkage system with the alignment position being beneath one of said cat-ch levers and said catch lever tilting to engage its associated linkage means to said slide and to cause movement of the respective one of said thread guide arms toward the point in response to the movement of said slide, thread brake means comprising at least two brake plates, means loading said brake plates into contact, means connected to said linking levers and actuable on lever rotation to cause separation of said brake plates, and common thread brake plate displacing means actuable for unisonly displacing all said brake plates.

2. In a weft thread changing apparatus for a shuttleless loom having picking means for picking wefts from a point at which a selected weft is positioned to be engaged by an inserting member to then be carried thereby into a shed in an associated loom and a programme means being actuable for controlling a pattern of weave produced by the loom, the weft thread changing apparatus being actuable to feed the selected wefts to the point, the combination of, a supporting means, a plurality of individually movable thread guide arms each mounted in radial disposition on said supporting means with respect to the center of the point, a plurality of linking levers each connected to and being pivotable for effecting movement of one of said thread guide arms along the respective radius, catch means mounted on each said linking lever, a slide, slide drive means reciprocating said slide in a plane substantially in the direction of said linking levers, a plurality of transverse multiple cam plates mounted on said slide and reciprocable in directions transverse to the direction of movement of said slide, a plurality of catch levers pivotally mounted on said slide and corresponding in number and disposition to said linking levers, each said catch lever overhanging one of said multiple cam plates and underlying a respective one of said catch means, hook means being provided on the latter end of each said catch lever, to engage With said catch means, and linkage systems individually mounted on said multiple cam plates and to the programme means, each said multiple cam plate being provided with bases of differing pitch arranged with respect to the limited travel of each said multiple cam plate for the aligning of a base for each position of the respective said linkage systems, the aligning position being beneath one of said catch levers, said catch lever being tiltable for engaging the respective linkage system to said slide and effecting movement of the associated one of said thread guide arms toward the point in response to movement of said slide.

3. -In a weft thread changing apparatus for a shuttleless loom having picking means for picking selected wefts from a point for engagement by an inserting member for carrying thereby into a shed of an associated loom and being cooper-ant with a pattern programme means actuable for controlling the pattern of weave produced by the loom, the Weft thread changing apparatus being actuable to feed sequentially selected wetts to the point, the combination of, a mounting means, a plurality of individually movable thread guide arms each mounted in radial disposition on said mounting means with respect to the point, a plurality of linking levers each connected to and being pivotable for effective movement of one of said thread guide arms along the respective radius, catch means mounted on each said linking lever, a slide, slide drive means reciprocating said slide along a line substantially in the direction of movement of said linking levers, a plurality of transverse multiple cam plates mounted on said slide and reciprocable in a line transverse to the direction of movement of said slide, a plurality of catch levers pivotally mounted on said slide and each underlying one of said cat-ch means, hook means on each of said catch levers to engage with said catch means, a plurality of linkage systems each mounted upon one of said multiple cam plates and on the pattern programme unit, each said multiple cam plate being provided with bases of differing pitch arranged with respect to the movement of each said multiple cam plate for the alignment of one base with each position of the respective said linkage systems with the position of alignment being beneath the respective of said catch levers, said catch lever being tiltable to engage its associated linkage system to said slide for causing movement of the associatedone of said thread guide arms toward the point responsively to the movement of said slide, thread brake means including a pair of brake plates, means loading said plates into contact, and means connected to said linking levers and actuable on rotation of said linking levers to cause separation of said brake plates.

'4. In a weft thread changing apparatus for a shuttleless loom having picking means for picking wefts from a point at which selected Wefts are positioned to be engaged by an inserting member to then be carried thereby into a shed in an associated loom and a pattern programme means for controlling the pattern of weave produced by the loom, the weft thread changing apparatus being actuable to feed sequentially selected wefts to the point, the combination of, a supporting mean-s, a plurality of individually movable thread guide arms each mounted in radial disposition on said supporting means with respect to the point, a plurality of linking levers each connected to and being pivotable for effecting movement of one of said thread guide arms along the respective radius, catch means mounted on each said linking lever, a slide, slide drive means for reciprocating said slide along a line in the direction or" movement of said linking levers, a plurality of transverse multiple cam plates mounted on said slide and reciprocable in directions transverse to the directions of movement of said slide, an equal plurality of catch levers pivotally mounted on said slide and corresponding in number and disposition to said linking levers, each said catch lever overhanging said multiple cam plates and underlying a respective one of said catch means, hook means being provided on the latter end of each said catch lever and adapted to engage with said catch means, rotary cam means, drive connecting means connected to said cam means and to the loom for driving said cam means in rotation in synchronism with the loom, cam follower means riding on said cam means, reciprocable linkage transferring means connected to said slide and cam follower means whereby rotation of said cam means results in longitudinal reciprocation of said slide, linkage systems individually mounted on said multiple cam plates and to a pattern programme unit, said multiple cam plates each being provided with an equal number of bases of differing pitch so arranged that with respect to the multiple cam plate travel, only one base is aligned in each positioning of said multiple cam plate with the position of alignment being beneath one of said catch levers whereby the pattern programme unit can be used to select one of said levers causing connection of the associated one of said linkage means to said slide means and thereby causing movement of the associated one of said thread guide arms toward the point in response to reciprocable movement of said slide, thread brake means including a pair of brake plates and means loading said brake plates into contact, and means connected to said linking levers and actuable on rotation of said levers to cause separation of said brake plates.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 473,260 4/1892 Letalle 139-122 1,474,416 I l/ 1923 Hathaway "139- 122 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,379,489 10/1964 France.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

H. S. JAUDON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A WEFT THREAD CHANGING APPARATUS FOR A SHUTTLELESS LOOM HAVING PICKING MEANS FOR PICKING WEFT THREAD FROM A POINT AT WHICH SELECTED WEFTS ARE POSITIONED TO BE ENGAGED BY AN INSERTING MEMBER TO THEN BE CARRIED THEREBY INTO A SHED IN AN ASSOCIATED LOOM, THE WEFT THREAD CHANGING APPARATUS BEING ACTUABLE TO FEED SEQUENTIALLY SELECTED WEFTS TO THE POINT, THE COMBINATION OF, A SUPPORTING MEANS, A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUALLY MOVABLE THREAD GUIDE ARMS EACH MOUNTED IN RADIAL DISPOSITION ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS WITH RESPECT TO THE POINT, A PLURALITY OF LINKING LEVERS EACH CONNECTED TO AND BEING PIVOTABLE FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF ONE OF SAID THREAD GUIDE ARMS ALONG THE RESPECTIVE RADIUS, CATCH MEANS MOUNTED ON EACH SAID LINKING LEVER, A SLIDE, SLIDE DRIVE MEANS RECIPROCATING SAID SLIDE ALONG A LINE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID LINKING LEVERS, A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE MULTIPLE CAM PLATES MOUNTED ON SAID SLIDE AND RECIPROCABLE OVER A LIMITED TRAVEL IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF PERMITTED MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE, A PLURALITY OF CATCH LEVERS EACH OVERHANGING ONE OF SAID MULTIPLE CAM PLATES AND UNDERLYING ONE OF SAID CATCH MEANS, HOOK MEANS ON EACH OF SAID CATCH LEVERS TO ENGAGE WITH A RESPECTIVE SAID CATCH MEANS, A PLURALITY OF LINKAGE SYSTEMS EACH MOUNTED UPON ONE OF SAID MULTIPLE CAM PLATES, EACH SAID MULTIPLE CAM PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH BASES OF DIFFERING PITCH ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO THE LIMITED TRAVEL OF EACH SAID MULTIPLE CAM PLATE FOR THE ALIGNMENT OF ONE BASE FOR EACH POSITION OF THE RESPECTIVE SAID LINKAGE SYSTEM WITH THE ALIGNMENT POSITION BEING BENEATH ONE OF SAID CATCH LEVERS AND SAID CATCH LEVER TILTING TO ENGAGE ITS ASSOCIATED LINKAGE MEANS TO SAID SLIDE AND TO CAUSE MOVEMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID THREAD GUIDE ARMS TOWARD THE POINT IN RESPONSE TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE, THREAD BRAKE MEANS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO BRAKE PLATES, MEANS LOADING SAID BRAKE PLATES INTO CONTACT, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LINKING LEVERS AND ACTUABLE ON LEVER ROTATION TO CAUSE SEPARATION OF SAID BRAKE PLATES, AND COMMON THREAD BRAKE PLATE DISPLACING MEANS ACTUATE FOR UNISONLY DISPLACING ALL SAID BRAKE PLATES. 